Fulham launched bid to hijack Nemanja Vidic’s Manchester United move before he became club legend
- Fulham tried to sign Nemanja Vidic before he joined Manchester United
- Chris Coleman wanted to sign him after selling Louis Saha for £13million
- Vidic would instead move to Old Trafford and win the 2008 Champions League
Chris Coleman has revealed how he tried to snatch Nemanja Vidic from under the nose of Manchester United while boss of Fulham in 2005.
The Welshman had been given £500,000 to invest in the squad after selling Louis Saha and targeted the Serbian centre-back.
However, Sir Alex Ferguson would seal a deal for Vidic in jJanuary 2006, who went on to win five Premier League titles and one Champions League with the club.
Defender Nemanja Vidic was targeted by Fulham before he moved to Manchester United
Coleman told The Athletic: ‘We sold Saha for £13million and I got £500,000 to reinvest.
‘The rest of it went on [Craven Cottage], because it was deemed not fit for Premier League football. We were playing at QPR, Loftus Road.’
Coleman was determined to try and land Vidic with that £500,000, but found the defender, then at Spartak Moscow, had already caught the eye of Manchester United.
Chris Coleman revealed how he was beaten to the Serbian centre-back’s signature
Coleman added: ‘I’d spoken to the agent and Mohamed Al Fayed was on board. He was sensational, only young but already a man.
‘I knew Jim Lawlor, United’s chief scout, because we’d done our Pro Licence together out of Belfast. He’s a top boy.
‘I said to him, “You can’t take him, he’s not ready for you, let him come to me for a few years, do well, then you can take him.”
‘He was laughing. “No we’re taking him now.”
